Boston-area band finds success in Utica, N.Y.

Ryan Montbleau lives just outside of Boston, but nothing says "home" to this traveling musician like Utica.

Cassaundra Baber

Ryan Montbleau lives just outside of Boston, but nothing says "home" to this traveling musician like Utica.

"I don't know, something is in the stars in Utica," said the singer-songwriter. "I love that town."

Montbleau's Utica crush wasn't immediate. His first few gigs in 2003 as a budding solo artist at the Electric Company attracted about seven people, he remembers.

"I kept saying, 'What the hell am I doing in Utica?" Montbleau said during a recent phone interview from Cambridge, Mass.

But almost overnight, Montbleau began drawing hundreds of Utica fans to his shows at The Electric Company at 700 Varick St. He and his band, The Ryan Montbleau Band, likely will draw that crowd once again during a brief stop there Saturday, Dec. 29.

Montbleau and his band, as well, have found themselves captivated by the charms of Utica - mostly its bartenders, beer and food.

"I do like the bartenders very much," Montbleau said with a short laugh that one could imagine was paired with a wink. His stay in Utica, he says, wouldn't be complete without a stop at Tony Sparagna's for chicken parmigiana and several cans of Utica Club.

"I don't know. There's a certain charm Utica has. We love it there so much because it's almost like we've grown there. It's one of the first places that really embraced us, and where we first really started drawing big crowds."

Honest music

Montbleau's Utica triumph is only the tip of the band's success. The band - Montbleau, drummer James P. Cohen, keyboardist Jason Cohen, bassist Matt Gianarros and violist Laurence Scudder - performs more than 200 dates a year around the world, and has received consistent praise for its soul-infused blend of folk, Americana, rhythm and blues.

Montbleau's poetic and thoughtful lyrics and pure vocals create a sound that forces the listener to feel - whether it's heartache, as in "Love and Love Lost," which recounts the ache of a neglected heart through the story of a homeless man, or plain silliness with "Eggs" - a song about, well, eggs.

"As grandiose as it sounds, I want to just tell the truth, and be as honest as I can," Montbleau said of his songwriting. "And if I can do that, people will connect with their own truth."

Montbleau's writing process proves just as organic as the results.

"When I feel the best is when I write a song. I try to just let it come naturally. You can't force it," he said. "I don't want to force myself to write songs that nobody needs to hear. There are so many songs out there. I want to write the songs I need to write."

A turning point

Still, Montbleau believes he's at a turning point in his writing. Most of what he has written in the past has been based on his personal experiences, but eventually that content fails to inspire - him or his listeners, he said.

"If I just keep writing my own experiences all the songs will be about going to gigs," he said. Future writings will continue to relay the same truths but will stem more from the experiences and observations of others' lives, he said.

Montbleau hopes those lyrics will be heard.

"I just want whoever is into our music to be able to hear it," Montbleau said. "People who truly want to listen to this stuff - that's the simple goal."

The more complicated goal centers on stability - musically, financially.

"We'd like a little stability in our lives. All of us. A house would be nice. We love touring," he said. "We'll do it forever, but maybe not 200 shows a year, which is completely crazy; maybe 100 shows. We look forward to that one day. Ultimately, that just leaves you in a more comfortable place to make music."

Even then, Utica will remain an important part of where the band began.

"We're still trying to take over one city one at a time, but Utica is our first success story," Montbleau said. "Every time we go to Utica, it's a party. I hope we survive this one. For real."

Observer-Dispatch

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